Coilable rule with a detachable connection



July 28, 1953 VQLZ 2,646,940

COILABLE RULE WITH A DETACHABLE CONNECTION Filed se i. 9, 1949 mmvronFrederick AVolz Patented July 28, 1953 COILABLE RULE WITH A DETACHABLECONNECTION Frederick A. Volz, New Britain, Conm, assignor to The StanleyWorks, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationSeptember 9, 1949, Serial No. 114,726

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to that class of measuring devices which includessteel tapes or coilable measuring strips or rules, and particularlythose measuring devices having a steel tape or rule which isautomatically wound or aided in coiling by suitable resilient means,usually in the form of a coiled spring attached at one end to the centerof a container or casing within which the steel tape or rule is wound.

Steel tapes or rules of this nature are generally permanently secured tomeans within the casing around which they are wound or coiled. Thus, ifthe tape or rule should become damaged or broken, it is generallynecessary to discard the entire rule including the casing therefor andreplace it with another complete rule and easing or at least disassemblethe case in order to replace the rule or tape which requiresconsiderable skill and time to properl reassemble correctly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a coilable rule ortape of the type described having quickly operable means for connectingone end of the coilable measuring tape or rule with the outer end of thecoiling means mounted within the casing whereby, if the measuring tapeor rule becomes damaged or broken, then it will only be necessary toreplace the measuring tape or rule per se by quickly detaching thedamaged or broken one from the coiling means and secu1' ing a new one tothe outer end thereof, thus saving the expense of a new casing andcoiling means or at least the time and skilled eifort requiredotherwise.

It is another object of the invention to arrange said means forattaching ends of the measuring tape or rule and coiling means so thatthe same may be quickly and readily operated by simple and convenienttools normally found in any shop or household.

t is still another object of the invention to include in the connectingmeans a member which is preferably furnished with a new replacementmeasuring tape or rule, said member being bendable around theinterconnected ends of the measuring tape or rule and coiling means,whereby the connecting means therefor cannot become accidentallyseparated.

Details of the invention and the foregoing objects thereof, as well asother objects thereof are set forth in the following specificationillustrated in the accompanying drawing comprising part thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fragmentary end portion of a coilablemeasuring tape or rule attached to coiling means projecting from one endof a casing.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the end of a measuring tapeor rule which is to be attached to coiling means.

Fig. 3 is a perspective fragmentary View of the outer end of coilingmeans which is to be attached to one end of a measuring tape or rule.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating one step in the operation ofconnecting ends of the coiling means and measuring tape or rule.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View showing fragmentary ends of the measuringtape or rule and coiling means connected together but illustrated on thereverse side from that shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. l, a casing or holder i3 is shown having an entranceslot 12 through which one end of a coiling means i4 is extendable. Saidcoiling means is in the nature of a resilient spring strip and the innerend thereof within the casing is coiled and mounted in such a way thatit exerts tension on the outer end of the coiling means in a directionto withdraw the same into the casing. The coiling means is attached atits outer end to one end of a flexible, coilable, measuring strip orblade It by means to be described, and said coiling means may be eitherthe type which exerts a constant tension tending to draw the measuringstrip t6 into the entrance slot I2, or the type such as onlyapproximately balances the resistance due to friction and tendency ofthe measuring strip to resist bending such as in measuring tapes knownas the push-pull type. The measuring strip I6 may be of the type whichis normally curved in cross section when extended from the entrance slotl2.

The coiling means It and measuring strip It are coiled about an axis itwithin the casing EB.

In Fig. 1 the measuring strip i5 is also shown provided with anextension 26 formed from suitable material such as highly flexiblesteel, and the same is secured to one end of the measuring strip it suchas by an eyelet or rivet 22. For all practical purposes and the purposesof this invention, the extension 20 is considered part of themeasuringstrip 16. The coiling means as is also provided a short distance fromits outer end with an aperture 24 through which any suitable holdingmeans such as a pin or small nail 26 may be inserted so as to hold saidouter end of the coiling means from being withdrawn into the casing whenit is desired to attach one end of the measuring strip I 6 to the outerend of the coiling means l4.

The means for attaching one end of the measuring strip H5 or itsextension 28 to the outer end of the coiling means M are as follows: Theouter end of the coiling means M is shaped to form a flat head 28somewhat resembling a blunt arrowhead. The measuring strip I6 isprovided adjacent one end with a keyhole shaped slot or opening 3! Thehead 28 is formed by notching opposite edges of the outer end of coilingmeans 14 as at 32, and the width of the neck 35 between said notches isslightly less than the diameter of the circular portion 35 of thekeyhole shaped opening 30. The slot portion 38 of the keyhole shapedopening 30 is sufficiently long that,.in conjunc-v tion with thecircular portion 36, the head 23 of coiling means lfl. may be insertedtransversely thercthrough as illustrated in Fig. 4. Asv will beapparent, head 28 might be inserted through opening 39 from either sideof the blade IS. However, in order to complete the connection ashereinafter described, it is necessary to insert the head 28 from theside opposite from the indicia as shown in Fig. 4. After the head 28 hasbeen inserted through the keyhole shaped opening 3% as shown in Fig. 4,the neck 34 of coiling means it is moved longitudinally of the measuringstrip into the circular portion 36 of the opening 38 and then turnedabout the longitudinal axis of coiling means I l approximately 90 to theposition of the coiling means illustrated in Fig. 4. The coiling meansand measuring strip are then extended so as to be longitudinally alignedas indicated in Figs. 1 and 5.

The thus interconnected coiling means #4 and measuring strip It couldthen be passed through entrance slot l2 and coiled within the casing l8.However, upon withdrawing the coiling means through the entrance slot 12so as to expose the connecting means, the latter could then beaccidentally disconnected. This would permit the end of the coilingmeans to snap into the case or holder and become uncoiled from itsproper tension. To reconnect to the measuring strip would then requiredisassembly of the casing as described in the first object stated. Toprevent such accidental disconnection of the connecting means describedthus far, the present invention further contemplates the use of holdingmeans comprising a small readily bendable metal strip 4% which ispreferably U-shaped, as shown in Figs. 2 4, and extends transverselyacross the measuring strip 15, or extension 20 thereof, adjacent one endof the same as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Said holding means 45 isconnected to the measuring strip or its extension by an eyelet or rivet42 so as to be permanently carried thereby. When, for example, areplacement measuring strip is purchased for attachment to the outerends of the coiling means i l, said replacement measuring strip or itsextension is provided with such U-shaped holding means 40 securedthereto.

When the coiling means [4 and measuring strip have been interconnectedby inserting the head 28 through the keyhole shaped opening 39 asaforesaid and the same have been extended so as to be longitudinallyaligned, the parallel sides of the U-shaped holding means it? willextend beside the parallel and juxtaposed edges of the outer ends ofsaid coiling means It and measuring strip Hi and said sides may then bebent toward each other so as to be parallel to the central portion ofthe holding means 40 and against the outer surface of the coiling meansM as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The bending of said sides may be performedby any suitable blunt object, and the same is readily accomplished sincethe holding means is readily bendable, being preferably formed of softmetal.

In order that the holding means 49, when bent into operative conditionas shown in Figs. 1 and 5, will not interfere with the passage of thecoiling means and measuring strip into the entrance slot l2 of thecasing, the coiling means I4 is preferably formed of somewhat narrowerstrip material than the measuring strip 15 or its extension. The end ofthe measuring strip or its extension which is attached to the coilingmeans is also made reduced in width as clearly shown in the variousfigures, and the holding means 49 is secured to, said narrowed end ofthe measuring strip or its. extension. Thus, when the sides of theholding means are bent around the opposite sides of the connected endsof the coiling means and measuring strip, the distance between the outersurfaces of the ends of the connecting means 40 will be less than thewidth of the main part of the measuring strip and the length of the slotI2, and the thickness of the holding means is also less than the widthof slot I 2, thereby insuring ready passage of the connecting meanstherethrough.

When it is desired to separate a broken or damaged measuring strip fromthe coiling means Hi, it is only necessary to withdraw the measuringstrip and coiling means from the entrance slot l2 until aperture 24 isexposed. A pin or nail 26 is then inserted therethrough to preventwithdrawal of the outer end of the coiling means into casing H). Thebent sides of the holding means 20 are then pried upward by a knife orsimilar object from engagement, with the outer surface of coiling meansIt and bent away there from sufliciently to permit removing the head 23from the keyhole shaped opening 30 and thereby completely separate thebroken or. damaged measuring strip from the coiling means I l. A newmeasuring strip may then be attached to the coiling means is in themanner described above. The pin or nail 26 will then be withdrawn fromaperture 2!; and the replacement measuring strip is then ready for use.

It will thus be seen that the above described meansfor attaching ends ofthe measuring strip coiling means are extremely simple, durable, easyand inexpensive to manufacture, will prevent accidental separation ofthe connecting means and yet, when it is desired to detach a broken ordamaged measuring strip from the coiling means, the attaching means maybe readily disconnected by the use of a knife or similar object to pryup the ends of the readily bendable holding means, whereupon themeasuring strip and coiling means can be separated and a replacementmeasuring strip can likewise be easily and quickly secured to thecoiling means as described in the foregoing.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in its preferredembodiment and has included certain details, it should be understoodthat the invention is not to be limited to the precise details hereinillustrated and described since the same may be carried out in otherways, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

In a measuring rule of the type comprising a casing having an entranceslot, a wind-up spring normally coiled within said casing and having itsouter end extendable through the slot and a flexible coilable measuringblade of greater width than said spring for connection to the spring andhavin indicia on one side thereof, a detachable connection between the.spring and, blade which is freely movable through said entrance slot andwhich will not interfere with the coiling of the spring and blade Withinthe casing comprising an outer end portion of the blade which is neckeddown to substantially the same width as the spring and having a keyholeslot, a blunt arrow-shaped head at the end of the spring insertablethrough said keyhole slot from either side of the blade, and a narrowstrip of bendable metal secured intermediate its ends to the necked downend of the blade transversely thereof having its ends bendable about theedges of the blade and spring when the head of the spring is inserted 6through the keyhole slot from the side opposite the indicia.

FREDERICK A. VOLZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 293,919 Sprout Feb. 19, 1894 686,711 Cain Nov. 19, 1901 102,080,815 Gasstrom May 18, 1937 2,510,939 Carlson June 6, 1950

